The change in altitude of an airplane, particularly during descent towards landing, causes ear pain in many air travelers. While this pain is not considered dangerous, it is extremely uncomfortable and particularly unsettling for babies and young children. If the air traveler suffers from a respiratory ailment such as a cold or severe allergy, the pain may be severe and/or persist for several days after a flight, if the pressure in the ears fails to equalize upon landing.
The small space in the middle ear behind the eardrum, connected to the back of the nose via a small channel (the Eustachian tube), is normally filled with air. Under normal circumstances, the air on either side of the eardrum is at the same pressure, but as a plane descends the cabin air pressure outside the ear rises relatively fast, while the air pressure in the middle ear does not. The difference in air pressures pushes the eardrum inwards resulting in discomfort and possibly pain. To counter this problem several tricks can be used to raise the air pressure in the middle ear to equal that of the plane's cabin, such as yawning, chewing gum, or using the Valsalva technique: with mouth closed, gently pinch nostrils closed and then push air into nasal passages as if blowing nose. Another approach is to shield the ears from the increase in air pressure, thus avoiding the differences in pressure until normal breathing has given the passenger a chance to bring up the middle ear air pressure naturally.
You may have witnessed flight attendants suggest to passengers the use of plastic cups to cover their ears to diminish the discomfort. What the plastic cups are accomplishing is simply keeping the rising air pressure from pushing against the passenger's eardrum. But this is not easy to accomplish when young children are involved, as they do not sit still because of the discomfort. Furthermore, when adults are concerned, covering their ears may interfere with their ability to hear instructions from the pilot or passenger cabin crew, which would put them at risk in case of an emergency. As a matter of fact, airline and other regulations may prohibit the use of earphones during takeoff and landing to ensure all announcement can be clearly heard by the passengers.
It is an object of the present invention to show an apparatus to cover a person's ears in a way that isolates it from external air pressure, while at the same time allowing the person to hear the sounds in their surroundings. Moreover, the apparatus features a highly visible signal showing its status as properly transmitting sounds.